Here is your pdf: Feeding Working and Performance Horses

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Reviewed August 2009

Agdex 460/50-5Feeding Working and Performance

HorsesThe horse is an incredible athlete, excelling at both maximal sprinting, such as racing or rodeo events, and low-intensity, long duration activities, such as a

160-km endurance ride.Whether your horses are competing at top levels or just being used for the occasional trail ride, they must be fed

adequately to ensure optimal health and performance.Exercise increases nutrient needsAll horses need the major nutrients:

By far, the most important nutrient affected by exercise is energy, or the

calorie content of the diet. Muscles

require energy to contract. The harder or

longer the horse is working, the more calories the muscles

are burning, and therefore, the more energy is needed in

the diet.The fuels used by muscles during exercise ultimately originate from the diet; therefore, the energy content of

the diet must increase to meet these needs. Muscles rely

primarily on stored carbohydrates (blood glucose and

muscle glycogen) and fats (stored under the skin or in

muscle) to fuel contraction during exercise.Protein can also be used as an energy source, but it is very

inefficient and doesn™t contribute greatly as a fuel for

muscle contraction. Therefore, while dietary protein needs

increase with an increased level of activity, the Working horses

must be fed adequately to ensure optimal health and performanceadditional feed intake required to supply the necessary

energy will usually supply the additional protein needed.Exercising horses also need slightly higher levels of vitamins and minerals in their diet. Special attention

should be paid to meeting the calcium and phosphorus

needs of young horses just beginning training because

they are still growing. In addition, hays and grains grown

in Alberta are low in the trace minerals zinc, copper and

manganese and will likely need to be supplemented in the

diets of all horses. And, depending on the area, selenium may be deficient in feeds.Feeding high quality feeds will provide

the majority of the vitamins and minerals

needed by active horses, especially if

using a commercial grain mix that has

these nutrients added. When feeding

plain grains, such as whole oats, vitamins

and minerals can be added by including

a 1:1 livestock mineral or other suitable

vitamin/mineral supplement.Be careful not to over-supplement vitamins and minerals. Excess vitamins

and minerals are not only a waste

of money, but they may also create problems by upsetting the balance of other nutrients in the

diet or by causing toxicity.An adequate source of salt is critical to working horses because horses lose salt in sweat during exercise. For

horses performing light work, free access to a salt block

works well. Horses performing moderate to heavy work

may need to have additional loose salt top-dressed on

their grain ration.In cool to moderate temperatures, the horse will need at least 2 to 3 oz (56 to 85 g) of salt per day. In the warmer

summer months, 4 to 6 oz (112 to 170 g) of salt per day, or

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